This invention relates to molding strips; and, more particularly, to an automobile molding for connection to an automobile. Typically, these moldings are mounted on the bumper.
One type of automobile molding used today has an elongated plastic strip containing a relatively flat, elongated internal metal flange which acts to anchor connecting studs extending from the metal flange through the plastic and sufficiently beyond the inner surface of the strip to be used as connectors. Such molding is relatively expensive because of the difficulty of aligning the metal flange within the elongated plastic so the flange does not protrude and the cost of the metal flange and attached connector.
Another type of automobile molding strip has an elongated plastic strip with an integral connector protruding from the strip. The connector has an elongated body terminating in a head, having a greater width than the body, and a tapering end section, which passes through a connecting opening in an automobile and securely holds the molding strip against the automobile. When injection molding is used to form such a piece of automobile molding, the fabrication of a connector body having a smaller diameter than the head requires the use of additional cams within a mold. Such cams must be supported within the mold during molding and result in a relatively complex mold with a relatively high cost of maintenance.